Jailed after promise of a threesome

A woman who, along with another woman, lured a middle-aged man from a chip shop to a nearby bedroom on the promise of a threesome only to rob him was yesterday jailed for one year.

Martina McGrath, aged 23, formerly of Market St, Bantry, Co Cork, and originally from Co Waterford, pleaded guilty to a charge of demanding money with menaces from the 55-year-old man at a house on Lower Market St, Bantry, and robbery of a man in his 20s on the same date.

Garda Eoin Concannon said on that occasion, that McGrath and another woman lured the man in his mid-50s to a house on Lower Market St in the early hours of Sept 5, 2010.

Garda Concannon testified: “He was lured back to the house by the two girls. They brought him upstairs. They offered him a threesome. He declined but they persisted and got his pants down a small bit; €920 was then taken out of his pocket.

“He tried to get the money back. They got aggressive. They said they had [male relatives] in the house and they would get them to beat him up if he did not leave the house.”

Earlier, a man in his 20s was found in a distressed state in the town. He told gardaí he had been robbed of €40 and a mobile phone, and had been slashed in the arm with a knife.

Garda Concannon said: “He said he met them earlier and they invited him from a bar back to the house. They invited him up to a bedroom upstairs. Then both women punched him and kicked him. One of the women came upstairs with a knife. He decided to escape from the house but he was stabbed in the arm with the knife.”

McGrath and another woman were later found arguing in Bantry. They were arrested and all of the stolen cash and phone were recovered and returned to the owners.

Brendan Kelly, defending, said McGrath was addicted to Valium, among other things. She told her probation officer she had been taking 40 to 50 tablets a day.

Mr Kelly said there was a lack of parental control in her life and that her parents were now out of the country because of a family feud in Waterford.

“She has no recollection at all of the events. She admits they must have been distressing for the two victims and she is extremely apologetic in that regard and very remorseful,” said Mr Kelly.

Judge David Riordan said it must have been distressing for both injured parties. He said the defendant was now talking about undertaking counselling, but he said her commitment to that had to be seen in the context of the probation officer’s finding that she was reluctant to take the counselling recommended for her.

The judge imposed a two-and-a-half-year sentence, with the last 18 months suspended.